Cuff valve engine



Oct. l5, 1935. J .A ANGLADA ETAL 2,017,198

' GUFF VALVE ENGINE Filed oct. 1'?, 192.1 5' sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR JOSEPH A ANGLADA AXEL H. Aspe/xbm j/ Oct. 15, 1935. J. A. ANG-LAW` Al-:r AL

CUFE1 VALVE ENGINE Filed v0G13. 17, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JOSEPH A. ANGLADA O ct. l5, 1935. J, 4ANGLADY 1-:1' AL CUFF VALVE ENGINE Filed oct. 17, 1951 5 Sheets-.Sheet 3 ADA 4 INVENToRs JOSEPH A ANG J. A. ANGLADA El AL ocr. 15, 1935.

Filed Oct. 17, 1931 INVENTORS JOSEPH A ANGLA A YAXEL H.ASPR '4 TH Oct- 15, 1935- J; A. ANGLADA ET AL 2,017,198

CUFF VALVE ENGINE Filed Oct. 17, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUFF VALVE ENGINE Delaware Application October 17, 1931, Serial No. 569,384

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in internal -combustion engines and particularly to improvements in sleeve valve type engines having cuil or sleeve valves for controlling the inlet and exhaust to the cylinders.

One of the objects of this invention is to pro vide a sleeve valve engine with a single cui valve assembly for two-or more cylinders so that the valve ports in one valve alternately open and close the valve ports in the two or more cylinder heads which it surrounds.

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine of the rotary sleeve or cui valve type in which the valves are mounted in a separate detachable valve head resting on the cylinder block.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety release device for the valve driving means of a sleeve valve engine to automatically disconnect the crank shaft from the valve drive mechanism in the event of overload of the valve drive means due to sticking of valves, under friction vor otherwise.

Another object of this invention is to provide a geardrive train for rotary cuff valves permitting the independent adjustment of the timing of each valve with relation to the crank shaft and to each other valve.

Another object of this invention is to provide a friction drive connection between the crank shaft and the valves permitting the phase relationship of the valves and crank shaft to be altered by small increments. l

Another object of the invention is to construct the valve ports of the valve block out of radial alignment with the port in the cylinder head and sealing shoe to prevent whistling.

Another object of this invention is to provide a uid cooled internal cylinder or combustion head in a rotary cu valve engine in which *he combustion chamber is completely cooled by free circulation of cooling medium between the cylinder block casting and the valve head casting. A further object of this invention is to provide a multi-cylinder engine with a removable cylinder head and valve assembly in whicha single valve functions for two or more cylinders surrounding a plurality of combustion chambers.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description thereof, taken in connection with the attached drawings which illustrate preferred forms of embodiment of the device and in which; n

Figure 1 is a side elevation Qi a.' multi-cylinder engine with parts in detail showing the internal construction,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section through a part of the valve casing and taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 4, 6

Figure 3 is a part sectional view`ishowing the valve driving member andd valve sleeve in assembled relation,

Figure 3a is a detail plan view taken on the line 3a-3a of Figure 3 and showing the keyed connection between the valve and drive gear,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the gear drive of the respective valve sleeves, and showing in outline the location of the respective cylinders,

Figure 4a is a vertical sectional detail taken on the line laf-Ba of Figure l showing the adjustable coupling,

Figure 5 is a. diagrammatic view showing the 20 timing of the engine,

Figure 6 is an elevational view partly in section of a modied form of safety release for the valve drive,

Figure 7 is an elevational view of a part of the 25 safety release drive shown in Figure 6 in the released position,

Figure 8 is a vertical section through the engine at right angles to Figure 2 and centrally between two cylinders showing the circulation of the cooling fluid through the head, and,

Figure 9 is a horizontal view on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

In the embodiment illustrated, the engine consists of the principal parts characteristic of internal combustion engines including the crank case, a cylinder block A which has a plurality of cylinders B in which pistons C are adapted to be reciprocated through the medium of the connecting rods D which are driven from a crank shaft (not shown). The removable valve `block casing G carries an embodiment of the improved cylinder head construction in which a single sleeve or cuil valve surrounds and controls the port openings into two combustion chambers located in the single head serving twin cylinders. The improved valve driving mechanism is also carried in the valve block casing G, and this valve block casing has a valve cover H, as will be hereinafter described. It win be understood however that this embodiment is merely illustrative of the invention and that one valve might -be used to control three, four or more cylinders and that other forms of valve driving mechanism could also be used.

The engine chosen for illustration of the lnvention is provided with eight cylinders, I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, and 8, each cylinder of which has a separate combustion chamber I0, and each pair of combustion chambers I Il is provided with a single rotary valve -I2, which is adapted to alternately open and close the valve ports I3 into the com bustion chambers of two cylinders. As particularly shown in Figure 2, the double cylinder head I4 is sealed against the cylinder block A by the valve block G and the cylinder head I4 is provided with a surface I4a-I4b engaging a similar surface common to the adjacent cylinders so as to form a sealed joint between these two surfaces.

The cylinder heads I4 are accurately fitted to the valve block casing G at I4d so as to maintain the casing alignment of the head in the valve block casing. The cylinder head I4 is provided with two substantially frustro-conical combustion chambers I0 each having suitable sparkplug or oil fuel injector receiving apertures I5.

The portion I4d centers and maintains the spacing of the bottom of the head I4 in the valve block G and the stud bolts I4c projecting through the valve block cover 4 assist in holding the heads I4 in position.

The valve sleeve I2 is a short open-ended cylinder or cuff valve which is driven by a detachable coupling member I1 having projections Ila fitting into openings in the valve sleeve. The coupling member I1 is further provided with external slots or keyways I1b which co-act with the internal teeth or keyways I8a on the gear I9 through the keys I8. Preferably, there are fifty keyways I9a and but forty-eight keyways Ilb. Under such circumstances, there are always `two pair of keyways in operative position to receive the keys I8. All other keyways are at a slight angle to each other and in order that the timing may be varied, it is merely necessary to remove the keys and replace them in other keyways which are in properposition after the timing is changed. The particular number of keyi ways provided in the illustrative example permit any valve timing change from one-twentieth of one degree to any angle which is a multiple thereof.

In order to prevent leakage between the valve ports I 3 and the valve I2, slidable sealing shoes 20 are mounted between the cylinder head I4 and the valve I2 which shoes surround each of the ports I3 and are adapted to press against the rotating valve sleeve. The shoe 20 is segmental in shape and will have a central rectangular passage corresponding to the shape of the valve port openings I3a. An expanding ring 2| of the piston ring type is mounted in a recess in the combustion chamber head I4 behind the shoe 20 to prevent pressure leaks between the sealing shoe 20 and the head I4. A crinkle shaped or wavy spring 22 causes a lateral movement of the ring 2| to force the shoe 20 outwardly against the sleeve I2 thus maintaining a tight pressure seal between the shoes 20 and the sleeve I2, and between the head I4 and shoes 20 as described in our copending application, Serial No. 562,007, led September 10, 1931.

As the shoe 20 is forced against the valve sleeve I2, it forms a slidable gas tight joint between the combustion chamber and the valve member. The expanding ring 2I seals the space between the shoe and the cylinder head, and the compression and explosion pressures in the combustion chambers II) enters behind the shoe 20 and increases its pressure on the valve sleeve I2 The ports in the sealing shoes 20 are of smaller area than the corresponding port openings in the valve block G. This will be particularly noted in Figure 5, and in operation the valve sleeve I2 will begin to open the port opening in the valve block before it reaches the opening side of the port in the valve sealing shoe. Such construction prevents the so called whistling effect which is very objectionable and which apparently is caused by the opening of a highly restricted area under exhaust conditions when the port is nearly closed. In the present construction, the outer port being already partly open before the sealing shoe port begins to open, as the ports are not in radial alignment, no resonant effect exists and whistling is eliminated.

The preferred form of valve drive is shown in Figure 4 in which the timing shaft 25 is driven from the crank shaft (not shown) in any desired manner through the gear 26.

The preferred manner of driving the timing shaft 25 is through a friction coupling as shown in partial detail in Figure 4a.. The face of gear 26 is forced into contact with the clutch face 55 by means of bolts 51 mounted in slots 56. A series of bolts are used and they may be loosened for a partial rotation of the clutch face 55 with respect to the face of the gear 26, and as the clutch face member 55 is secured to the timing shaft 25, the relative timing of all of the valves may be changed as desired. This change may be as small as desired and usually will not be greater than the angular relation between the driving teeth for the gear 26. 'I'his gear may be either gear or chain driven from the crank shaft and material timing changes exceeding one tooth in angle will be made by shifting the gear teeth. The friction coupling will be used only in making Vernier changes for all of the valves.

The timing shaft 25 is provided with helical gears 21 contacting with the cuff valve drive gears I9, suitable bearings 28 being provided to maintain the position of the shaft. The helical gears 21 may be splined or otherwise non-rotatably secured to the shaft 25. Suitable cooperating nuts 29 contact with respective faces of the helical gears 21, such nuts being screw threaded on the drive shaft 25. By loosening one of the adjacent nuts 29 with respect to any helical gear 21 and tightening the other cooperating nut, it will be possible to move that helical gear 21 longitudinally of the shaft 25. As the gears 21 are non-rotatably secured to the shaft 25, such movement will cause a rotational movement of the valve sleeve I2 due to the cooperation of the gear teeth on the helical gear 21 and the teeth on the valve driving gear I9. Such movement will cause a change of timing of the valve in sufficiently small increment to make precise timing possible. Further, each valve may be independently adjusted through the adjustable relation of the coupling member I1 and the gear I9.

The timing of the engine is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 5. The valve block G is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports Ia and 2a and with a pluralityof intake ports Ib and 2b respectively for each cylinder, the exhaust and intake ports Ia and Ib corresponding to one cylinder and the intake port 2a and exhaust port 2b corresponding to the second cylinder. The cylinder head I4 is shown to cover the combustion chambers I0 of cylinders I and 2, and the animes 12C" apart. It will be noted that sealing shoes 20 are provided for the ports in the head.

Any conventional sequence 'of intake and exhaust timing may be employed and in the timing arrangement illustrated the sequence is `1--6- 2-5-8-3-7-4-L andthe 'angular spacing is and the angular spacing for the same event such as intake, compression, expansion and exbaust for successive cylinders is as follows; between cylinderl and the next in order or cylinder G is 15, between I and the next following 6 which is 2, is 30, andso o'n as indicated. It will be noted that during two revolutions of the crank shaft equal to 720 the valves have rotated 120 and have completed a four cycle sequence of events. 'Ihe ports I 2a in the rotary'valves are spaced 120 apart and the valves are rotatedv at one-sixth crank shaft speed.' The result is that the valve has little or no tendency to carbonize or to run hot and a more effective operation of the valve is possible.

As shown in Figure 9,. the combustion spaces and valve chambers are cooled by circulating the cooling fluid such as water on all sides. The chamber I6 in the cylinder head I4 is fed by enlarged ports 30 in they head I4 which extend between each of the combustion chambers I and cooperate with the passagesll into the cylinder block A. As shown by the arrows, the cooling medium circulates through the cylinder block A,

through the valve block G, both inside and outside the sleeve, I2 and through the valve block cover H, in a complete path or circuit. This construction is possible due to the arrangement of the valve head for each two cylinders which provides space for the conduits 30, between the combustion chambers I0.

A form of safety release mechanism for the valve drive is shown in Figures 6 and 7, which construction is particularly adapted for a chain drive valve mechanism. The valves are driven from the crank shaft 35 through suitable bevel gears 35 and 31, which drive the vertical power shaft 38. A clutch member 4I cooperates with a second clutch member 42, "the clutch member 4l being secured to the drive shaft 43 which operates the valve drive mechanism (not shown), from the head 44. A spring 45 urges the clutch member di toward the adjacent clutch member t2. '.'he' clutch member 42 is provided with a race 42a, and the clutch member 4l is provided with a cooperating race 4h: cooperating with-the pro- .jections 42a to afford space for the driving ball Mb. 'i

The clutch members 4I and 42 also have a' driving connection in cooperating depressions 4 Ic and 42e respectively, such depressions receiving the ball 4Ib and driving through it. The usual and driving position of the members is Y shown in Figure 6. y

If the torque on the driving head 44 should increase by reason of a valve member being insufflciently lubricated or otherwise retarded against rotation, the spring 45 will be compressed. and will permit the clutch member 4l to ride up on the ball Mb as illustrated in Figure 7, to release the driving connection between the clutch -members. The clutch member 4l may be provided with a suitable spline cooperating with vkeys 46 and will thusslide along the. length of the shaft 43. This will stop the motor from running. When 'the cause of the excess load in the safety release has been removed, the clutch member 4l will again engage in driving position with reference tary motion of the valves.

.to the clutch member' 42 when the crank shaft is rotated, and the valve timing will be automatically restored. As it is desirable that timing be automatically restored after the trouble has been remedied, the clutch members are each provided with only one depression which cooperates with the single ball and on rotation, the clutch members will be restored in only the one proper position.

For improvedlubrication and cooling of the gear or chain driving mechanism as well as to protect from dirt and injury a chamber 50 is provided in the valve block G which is covered by the valve block cover H and this chamber surrounds the driving gears I9, on either the chain or gear drive as shown in Figures 4 and 9. This chamber may be provided with oil or other lubricant to maintain the parts cool and to prevent wear, and as a water circulation Vis maintained through the valve block G and cover H the lubricant may also be cooled. The chamber'll also tends to reduce any noise or hum from the drive mechanism.

Figure 4 shows a modified form of safety release mechanism as applied to gear driven valve sleeves in which the driving gear 26 for the shaft 25, is driven from the crank shaft of the engine..

The safety release comprises a clutch member l52 secured to the gear 26 and a cooperating clutch member 53 which is secured to the shaft 25 and is 30 urged by a spring 54 into contact with the member 52. The operation of this form of device is substantially the same as that illustrated in Figures 6, 7, and 8. If too great a load is placed on the shaft 25, the shaft ceases to rotate and the spring 54 is compressed to permit the projections on the clutch member 53 to ride out of the depressions in the clutch member 52. When the obstruction Y is removed, however, the clutch members 52 and 53 will return to position without altering the valve 40 timing.

The present valve construction is extremely simple due to the use of but a single valve sleeve for each two or more cylinders and by the reduction of the number of operating parts to a minimum so that an eight cylinder engine will thus have no more valve parts than the vusual four cylinder sleeve valve engine. A low rotary speed of the valves is Ipossible because of the multiplicity of ports and as they are adequately lubricated on the outside and inside and'cooled on the inside and outside, the valves will have an extremely long life. There is no shock or other heavy loads on the valve mechanisms dueto the uniform ro- 55 The valves and heads are preferably ordinary castings whichl may be readily machined within broad commercial limits of accuracy and when assembled the heads and valves are accurately and easily timed and no uctuating relationbetween the valves and the crank shaft is normally possible dueto the light loads, adequate bearing surface and copious lubrication there is no wear to effect the timing. after it is established when the engine is initially assembled. v v

Complete cooling is possible due to the particular twin cylinder head yconstruction for adjacent cylinders so that there are no dead pockets for steam generation. The timing arrangement is extremely simple and each valve does only a por- K tion of the work necessary for other constructions, yet due to its long cooling period, it will be less Y subject to wear. The valve mechanism may be chain or gear driven as desired andin either case, ine driving mechanism is readily lubricated and carried at the top of the piston stroke. Sealing Vshoes may also be used to prevent pressure loss tated within a closed chamber, the operation of the motor is smooth and silent at all operating speeds.

While we have shown apreferred form of embodiment of our device, we are aware that other modifications may be made therein within the scope and spirit of this invention and we therefore desire that our description herein and the claims appended hereinafter be considered illustrative of the extent and not as limiting the scope of the invention.

l We claim:

1. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine of the class describeda casing for intake and exhaust ports. a head secured in the casing, said head having intake and exhaust ports, the ports in said head having edges out of alignment with the ports in the casing, and a ported valve operating between Athe head and the casing to control the passage of iiuid through Iports in the casing and the head. A

2. In a sleeve valve internal combustion engine of the class described a casing having intake and exhaust ports therein, a cylinder head having cooperatingy intake and exhaust ports, a valve sleeve controlling the admission and exhaust of gas through said ports in said head and casing, the valve ports in said casing being out of line with the edges of the valve ports in said head to prevent whistling.

3.. A rotary sleeve valve internal combustion engine of the class described comprising a cylinder block, a plurality of cylinders in said block, a piston operating in each cylinder, means to reciprocate said pistons, and means .to form a combustion chamber for each cylinder, including a valve block, a rotary sleeve valve Within said block, a cylinder head within said valve and surrounded thereby, said valve having ports in the side walls thereof, said cylinder head, and valve block having intake and exhaust conduits vopened and closed by said valve, said cylinder head having a plurality of combustion chambers within a single valve, eachof said chambers communicating with a different cylinder, means to rotate the valve to open and close said ports, and arcuate sealing means contacting with the interior of the valve to seal the respective ports against leakage therearound.

4. In an internal combustion engine of the class described a cylinder block, a plurality of cylinders therein, pistons carried within said cylinder, means to reciprocate said pistons, a valve block detachable from said cylinder block carrying valve mechanisml and forming combustion chambers with said cylinders, said valve block having a plurality of cylinder heads suspended therefrom, each ,of said cylinder heads having a plurality of combustion chambers theref in, each combustion chamber communicating with a different cylinder. said valve mechanism including a sleeve valve mounted between the cylinder heads and the valve block and including driving and timing mechanism, said valve block having a plurality of water conduits, water cooling the inside and outside of said valve and water cooling between said combustion chambers, said valve, valve block and cylinder heads having ports therein, the rotation of said valve controlling the intake and exhaust of a plurality of 10 cylinders.

5. In an internal combustion engine of the class described having a cylinder block, a plurality of cylinders and a cylinder head member, a plurality of recesses in said member forming sepai6 rate combustion chambers with different cylinders when the cylinder head is secured to a cylinder block, said recesses having a plurality of ports therein adapted to communicate with intake and exhaust manifolds, a valve mechanism control- 20 ling said ports including a cylindrical valve surrounding the combustion chambers and having ports therein, said valve being supported within the cylinder head member, and driving means for operating the valve to control the inlet and outlet 25 to said cylinders, said valve having a small and .continuously self-cleaning surface exposed to combustion gases.

6. In a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the class described, a common cylinder 30 head for a plurality of cylinders, a reduced volume combustion chamber for each cylinder contained in said common cylinder head, a rotary ouif valve surrounding the common cylinder head and movable relative thereto, an inlet and eX- 3i haust opening into each combustion chamber, said cuff valve having ports therein, certain of said ports controlling inlet and exhaust of spaced cylinders, and means to drive said valve in timed relation to the crank shaft, said valve being in 40 intimate contact with water cooled surfaces on both sides and throughout the major part of its surface, and means to water cool the common cylinder head adjacent the respective combustion chambers.

7. In a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine in combination with a cylinder head common to two or more cylinders and having recesses forming separate combustion chambers for each cylinder, a sleeve valve surrounding said head 50 and controlling the gas passages to each of said cylinders, a housing serving to hold the head and valve in operating alignment, valve driving means to drive said valve, and a cylinder head cover having openings therethrough for the passage of cooling fluid, said cylinders being jacketed, said casing and head having additional openings and passages for the passage of cooling medium from the cylinder jacket to the cylinder head cover, said valve being in intimate contact with water cooled surfaces on both the inside and the outside thereof.

8. In a multiple cylinder sleeve valve internal combustion engine of the class described, a cylinder head common to two or more cylinders, recesses in the head forming separate combustion chambers, a valve surrounding said head, a casing surrounding said valve, and a cover adapted to enclose the head and the valve, said head and casing having passages therethrough for the circulation of a cooling medium said valve contacting with the cooled surfaces to control the temperature oi the valve, said recesses being spaced from each other and forming water cooling conduits.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a. cylinder block, having a Vplurality of aligned cylinders therein, a cylinder block cover, having a plurality of cylinder heads therein, each cylinder head having two combustion chambers, the said cylinder heads being positioned partly over one cylinder and partly over the adjacent cylinder with said combustionchambers each communicating with a separate'but adjacent cylinder, inlet and outlet; passages into said combustion chambers, and a rotary sleeve valve surrounding each cylinder head and combustion chamber, and means to rotate said valves to control the inlet and outlet of gases to said combustion chambersv in timed relation to the operation of the engine, said sleeve valve being substantially out of contact with the combustion gases in the combustion chambers.

10. In a rotary cui valve internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a removable valve block, a plurality of pistons mounted in said cylinders, a dual cylinder head forming combustion chambers for two separate cylinders, said head having a plurality of ports, eac-h of said cylinder head ports communicating with a separate manifold for the introduction and discharge of gases to the individual combustion chambers, a'valve of cylindrical shape mounted in said valve block, saidvalve being rotatable and having ports in the sidewalls thereof controlling the flow of gases into and out of said combustion chambers respectively, andmeans to rotate said valves, said valves being open-ended and of imiform diameters.

11. In anl internal combustion engine, a cylinder block, a plurality of cylinders formed in said block, a plurality of cylinder heads iitted to said block, each cylinder head being provided with a pair oi combustion chambers each having inlet and exhaust ports, the combustion chambers of each cylinder head serving adjacent cylinders in the block, a valve block secured to said cylinder block and having a plurality-of rotatable sleeve valves disposed therein, each sleeve valve surrounding a cylinder head and serving to control the inlet and exhaust ports to the respective pairs of combustion chambers in said cylinder heads.

12. In an internal combustion engine, a plurality of cylinders arranged in pairs, a cylinder head for each pair of cylinders, having a pair of combustion chambers therein serving the respective cylinders of each pair, and an open ended sleeve valve surrounding each cylinder head and serving to control the admission of fuel to and the removal of exhaust gases from the pair of combustion chambers contained in Vthe cylinder head which it surrounds. -A

'JOSEPH A. ANGLADA. AXEL H. AsPRooTH.

L Paten: No. 2,017,198.

CERTIFICATE or coluusc'rlolt JOSEPH A. ANGLADA, ET AL.

It is-herehy certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l, first column,

line 22, tor. "under" read undue; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of December, A. D. 1935.

A Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

October 15, 1935. 

